Hitesh Rikki Madan completes 25 years in his journey as a professional musician this year, having started as the lead guitarist for Euphoria at age 17 back in 1996.
He is working on his debut album as a solo singer-songwriter-composer-producer to be released as singles. His new song Aao Naa, marks the debut of his sons, Ariv and Advay, making it a special one for him as life comes full circle. “This song is close to my heart because both my kids have sung and played on it. Ariv is 13 years old and has played the bass, Advay who is 12 years old has played percussion. Out of my recent compositions Aao Naa is their favourite song and I’m happy they could be a part of it.” says Hitesh. Aao Naa has a minimalistic arrangement driven by acoustic guitars, featuring three distinct voices and the chemistry of a father and sons trio.
Come the second wave of the pandemic, Hitesh whisks away his family to Keanna Village Home, a slice of heaven his wife Payal has created in a small Himalayan hamlet. It was in this quaint destination that Aao Naa was born earlier this year when Hitesh’s family got locked down.
It was a long stint for them at Keanna and each one of them was left with a feeling of longing albeit the days of togetherness also brought the family closer. Ariv missed his friends and school life terribly. Advay was particularly sad, he missed playing drums in his Delhi studio, but for this boy who believes “Ball is Life”, missing his football classes was most painful. How does one deal with something like the pandemic?
Hitesh had been working on a composition which the boys really loved and thought of involving them to keep their spirits up. Incidentally, Hitesh’s friend and batchmate from school, Vishesh Verma, was also staying with them at Keanna. Vishesh, who had directed Hitesh’s earlier release Gal Sunn Zara, was now eager to film Aao Naa in the beautiful setting of the mountains.
What followed was endless hours of brainstorming over cups of chai and Nani’s desserts, with exuberant Ariv spinning ideas and yarns of tales, Advay vacillating between wisecracks and grouchy “I-won’t-do-that” moments, Hitesh trudging up mountain trails to clear his head and get some air, Vishesh bringing in new perspective and lot of reassurance, long hours of practice, many moments of despair and cajoling, quiet time around bonfires, every bit of life and living that added up and Aao Naa turned out to be this beautiful, soulful love song that had its own meaning for each of them. It also resulted in Ariv creating his first bass solo, Advay creating a new percussion sound sampling his drum practice pad and wood block, Vishesh shooting his first film on an iphone and Hitesh recording in a makeshift studio in the Attic!
The suffering Covid19 has brought with it is near insurmountable and kudos to everyone for facing it, coming out strong. In the midst of grief and loss, the families have held on, stayed close, knowing more than ever before that spending meaningful moments with loved ones is one of the most beautiful things that life offers. Aao Naa captures this emotion.
Audio Credits:
- Music Composed, Arranged, Mixed & Produced by Hitesh Madan
- Lyrics by Hitesh Madan & Manish Dhawan
- Vocals & Bass Guitar: Ariv Madan
- Vocals & Percussions (Cajon, Drum Practice Pad, Shaker) : Advay Madan
- Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, Ukulele, Keyboards, Programming: Hitesh Rikki Madan
- Recorded by Hitesh Madan at Keanna Village Home, Nainital and ARIA The Studio, New Delhi
- Mastered by Andres Mayo, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Video Credits:
- Director: Vishesh Verma
- Assistant director & second camera: Sharon Patel
- Location Courtesy : Keanna Village Home, Nathuwakhan, Uttarakhand
About the Team: HRM, Vishesh, Ariv, Advay
Hitesh Rikki Madan is a Delhi based singer, songwriter, composer, performer ( live & virtual events) , guitarist, music producer and music educator, the founder/frontman of EKA (Delhi based Award Winning Swatantra Rock Band) and his new solo venture – HRM. He has also founded Aria The Music School , the first school in West Delhi to offer formal teaching & learning of music.
It was during the lockdown in March 2020 that Hitesh started performing with his sons, starting with Balcony Concerts which were greatly appreciated and went viral too. Over the last year, the trio have become popular and have performed at several virtual events for schools, corporates and NGOs.
Hitesh is currently working on releasing his debut album as a solo artist, to be released as singles over the period of a year. Two of Hitesh’s latest releases from his upcoming album won at The Clef Music Awards 2021 – Gal Sunn Zara, for the Best Music Composer, Best Music Producer and Best Solo Performance in a Music Video and Break Ke Baad for the Best Song Video Director award.
Vishesh Verma is a Mumbai-based fashion and advertising photographer. He also directs fashion films and TV commercials that are a direct extension of his unique photographic vision.
Ariv is 13 years old and a very talented musician. He plays the bass guitar and aspires to be a singer. He has done exceedingly well in the Rockschool music exams taken till date, topping North India on several occasions. Besides training in his instrument, he gives lessons in vocals and ukulele and has also started working on his original compositions.
Advay is 12 years old and a natural in his craft. He started drumming at the age of 4 and has excelled in the Rockschool music exams taken thus far. He is a flamboyant performer and brings a lot of energy and delight in his performances. Besides music, he is an avid football player.
This news was shared to Prittle Prattle News via press release.
